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Tourists Evacuated As Wildfires In Portugal Cause Devastation For Third Day Running

Tourists Evacuated As Wildfires In Portugal Cause Devastation For Third Day Running

The resort in Monchique was full of British holidaymakers at the time of the evacuation

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

A five-star hotel on Portugal's Algarve coast has been evacuated after it was threatened by the ongoing wildfires caused by the extreme heatwave in the south of Europe.

The MacDonald Monchique Resort and Spa, near to the town of Monchique, was evacuated in the early hours of yesterday morning when the fires started to become dangerously close to the resort.

PA

The resort, about 20 miles from the tourist hotspot of Portimão, was full of British holidaymakers at the time of the evacuation.

PA

Staff at the hotel confirmed that the venue was full of mostly British tourists and was about 70 percent full when the fires moved within a mile of the resort and forced everyone staying there to be moved out to other hotels.

No holidaymakers have so far returned to the resort, with most of them having been moved to other hotels in nearby Portimão.

One hotel worker told The Mail Online: "Firefighters and the local town hall asked us to evacuate. We could see the flames because the fire was only about one to two kilometres away.

"The hotel's maximum capacity is 500 people and most of our guests at this time of the year are British.

"Everyone was evacuated safely. We hope they can come back today but as things stand this morning they're not back yet and are still at the hotels in Portimão they were taken to."

PA

Portuguese authorities are working incredibly hard to try to prevent a repeat of the wildfires that claimed the lives of 64 people last year.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said: "At this moment the situation is a confined and limited situation and that is undoubtedly the difference to what happened last year."

The National Civil Protection Authority has said that citizens should remain inside if they are unable to leave their home. They are also advised to move curtains and couches away from windows, as well as closing doors and windows.

The wildfires have become increasingly problematic in the area after temperatures have soared recently to well above 40 degrees Celsius.

More than 60 percent of the country was above 40 degrees yesterday, and the hottest temperature ever recorded in the capital, Lisbon, was recorded.

PA

The mercury hit 44 degrees on Sunday, and was even hotter in other places. In Alvega the heat rose to 46.6 degrees - the hottest temperature in Portugal for 31 years.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Weather, World News, News, Europe, heatwave, Portugal, Fire, tourist, Holiday